


By Design

by ShinyMilotics



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Banter, F/F, Femslash, First Kiss, Lesbian Character, Pining, pre-release
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 20:03:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14921954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShinyMilotics/pseuds/ShinyMilotics
Summary: Corrin comes to a new world to act as Lady Edelgard's tutor, and ends up teaching her more than just swordplay.





	By Design

**Author's Note:**

> i wonder if i'm gonna look back at this once the game is released and laugh. but for now, i revel in the amount of power i have. i love the new girl and she's gay.

Such a beautiful, strange world she had come to.

It was not like anything she’d ever seen in her world. The skies were not so tenebrous as Nohr´s, nor as bright as Hoshido’s. The greenery felt even more alive, like every leaf and fruit and blade of grass had a soul. The land was alive, and it was plagued with a different sort of darkness than the one that had once attempted to take over her home.

Still Corrin found herself charmed by it. It was a place that she felt she could fight for, even having no personal ties to it.

Though perhaps that wasn’t entirely true. One thing did bind her to this world - and it was the bond she’d formed with the lovely Edelgard.

At first she was merely a teacher. She had trained her on the sword, as her brother had once for her. She’d grown so much, gone from pupil to master - even if she hardly felt deserving of such a title when the one she tutored was the likes of Edelgard - a woman so regal and talented, who excelled at everything she did.

But perhaps what she admired the most about her new pupil was her tenacious nature. How adamant she is, how her unwavering conviction could be felt when she spoke.

And she did have quite a lovely voice.

And face.

“Such strange writings,” Edelgard mused, eyes scanning the words of the tome Corrin had brought from Nohr for her. Her voice interrupted Corrin’s brief trance.

“I haven’t seen anything like this in my studies. Do the mages in your world fight with this magic?”

“Some do,” Corrin answered, even as her eyes wandered to watch Edelgard’s pristine white hair falling over her shoulder. “But not all. To wield dark magic you must be born with an aptitude for it. It cannot be taught.”

“I see. And it is dangerous, you said?”

“It certainly can be. Dark magic can stress both the body and the soul of those who can’t control it properly.”

Edelgard hummed, fingers tracing over the indents on the page. “It is fascinating. How admirable that you’re skilled in this, as well as all of your other abilities, Teacher.”

Corrin sighed, her gaze finally focusing on the woman sitting across from her. “Please, Lady Edelgard. How many times must I ask you to call me by my name? There’s no need for a title.”

Edelgard laughed briefly and quietly, as she often did. “You say that even if you still address me as Lady, when I too have told you that just ‘Edelgard’ is fine.”

Corrin smiled. “I guess you’re right. Perhaps I still find it hard to think of myself as someone’s instructor. I myself was still learning not so long ago.”

“It may feel that way to you, but factually, it was in fact years ago. You’ve told me yourself.”

“Hmm. Truly, nothing escapes you, does it, Lady Edelgard?”

“Again with the title!”

Corrin laughed. Her pupil was certainly stubborn. She lifted her arms and stretched them, sighing with satisfaction as she felt tension easing from her muscles.

“It’s getting late. Shouldn’t we be retiring?” she said.

Edelgard shrugged. “To go to bed now would be a waste of precious time. I find it hard to sleep in the earlier hours of the night.”

“Yes… You are quite the night owl. But that is merely a habit, and habits can be unlearned, you know.”

Edelgard gave her an impish smile. “Something else you shall train me in?”

Corrin returned the smile. “If you like.”

They were silent for a few moments then, and during it, Edelgard pondered. “Teacher…” she cleared her throat, “Corrin. You said that the reason for the war in your world was that the king was… Taken over. By a dragon’s grasp.”

Corrin nodded. “In his madness, Anankos sought to have the two kingdoms destroy one another. The king was merely a chess piece.”

“How cruel,” Edelgard said. “To think that we’re subject to such things, as humans. If only our spirit could be stronger.”

Corrin watched, studying her. Studying her expression. “Anankos’ power was that of a god. Only with the help of a blade forged from that same power was he able to be defeated.”

Edelgard hummed. “Yes… It would be the only way. What a frightening thought. That is what I want to protect this land from. From such power getting into human hands.”

“And I will do my best to ensure that you’re ready for that, should the need arise,” Corrin said, her voice soft. Edelgard said nothing afterward, but her warn expression of gratitude spoke enough.

 

* * *

 

Soon after they were walking the open path from the library to the castle’s residential wing. Corrin couldn’t help but look up at the sky along the way. “The night sky is truly beautiful here,” she mused. “It reminds me of home a bit.”

“Oh?”

“The land where I grew up was a very desolate one… But there was beauty there too. And one such beauty was how brightly the stars shone at night.”

“Hm... “ Edelgard thought for a moment. “Do you miss your home, Corrin?”

“A bit,” Corrin admitted. “But coming here was my decision, after all. And I believe it was the right one to make.”

“I have an idea,” Edelgard said, a bit suddenly.

Corrin turned to look at her. “Hm?”

“It is still early for me to try to sleep, I think. Unless you’d prefer to retire yourself… We could stay here and watch the stars, for a while.”

Corrin felt her heart speed up just a slight, and flushed upon realizing it. She’d helped win a war and was now a seasoned warrior, but it seemed that she hadn’t outgrown her weakness for beautiful girls. And stargazing.

“I would like that.”

They diverged from the stone path, turning to walk along the grass towards an open field. Edelgard led them to where a single large tree stood. When they stopped, Corrin reached for the buckle of her cape, unclasping it and unwinding the cape from around her shoulders.

“Wait. What are you doing?”

“Making a place for us to sit,” Corrin answered matter-of-factly.

“Oh, please, you don’t need to-”

“It’s fine! It’s really fine. I need to have this thing washed, anyway.” She stretched out the cape and set it on the grass before Edelgard could protest further.

“Please,” Corrin beckoned. “Sit.”

Edelgard sighed, but sat down beside her.

The proximity unnerved Corrin a bit. She could detect the faint perfume on Edelgard’s skin. She tried to relax despite her quickened pulse.

“You know, it’s strange,” she said after a while. “I was thinking that the constellations would be the same here as back at home, but… I can’t recognize any of these patterns.”

“I wish I could help you,” Edelgard said, “But admittedly, I was never taught how to read the stars.”

Corrin giggled a bit. “Well, it’s certainly not the most useful of skills.”

“No, but I think it would be nice to know. Not everything needs to be so practical.”

“I guess so.”

In such a position, the stars could only keep Corrin’s attention for so long. Too soon she found herself looking at Edelgard instead. Underneath the soft white light of the stars and the moon, Edelgard’s white hair and misty blue eyes seemed so shine so much brighter. When the breeze flew by and blew her hair about her face, she seemed ethereal, like a figure from a fantasy storybook.

“Corrin,” she said, breaking the silence.

“Y-yes?”

“Do you believe in fate?” Edelgard took a breath, then elaborated. “Do you believe that everything is predestined, that we are passively living out the will of the gods?”

“No,” Corrin said, surprising her with the swift answer. “I don’t. I believe we have our own free will. That we’re able to make our own fate.”

“I see.” Edelgard smiled. “That’s very like you, after all.”

“And what do you believe?”

“I’m… Not quite certain, yet. I think I still have more to experience before I decide.”  
  
She shifted a bit on the cape, and both of them shivered a bit as the tips of their fingers made featherlight contact. She cleared her throat, sitting an inch further away.

Corrin felt gripped by conflicting emotions. Edelgard was a beautiful woman, so captivating, almost hypnotic. She was so close and Corrin ached to touch her somehow, for she craved human contact so. But she felt that she shouldn’t. She was on a mission after all, and that would compromise it.

And Edelgarde tested her resolve as she looked into her eyes, their gazes locking. “You are so puzzling to me, Corrin.”

“Oh?”

“It’s as if you’re both strong and wise beyond your years, but also a young soul. There’s this innocence about you when you speak… It’s so strange.”

Corrin pondered those words. “You aren’t the first to say that. That I’m innocent.”

“And do you think you are?”

“No, but most others seem to.”

They went quiet again. Now it was Edelgard’s heart that raced. She bit her bottom lip. “Corrin, I… I’d like to try something.”

Corrin stared at her inquisitively, tilted her head just so.

“Some time ago you said… You said your sister was married to a woman. That such a thing is acceptable in the land you’re from.”

 _Oh._ Corrin had not been expecting that subject. Her throat tightened. “Yes, I did.”

“And did you ever, I mean…” Edelgard wet her lips, searching for the right words. “Did you ever have something like this? Feelings… or longing, towards another woman.”

“Yes,” Corrin answered, quietly. “Yes. At the very start of the war, I met a woman who went to stay beside me throughout its entire duration, even when no others did. I fell in love with her.”

Edelgard swallowed hard. “Oh.”

“She didn’t feel the same about me. It was quite painful at first, but… I’ve been over it for a long time now.”

“Oh, I’m… I’m sorry to hear that.”  
  
“Oh, that’s alright,” Corrin smiled faintly. “As I said, I’m no longer hurt by it. And we are still friends.”

The pause was deafening. “Why did you want to know?”

Edelgard stiffened. “Because that sort of thing… A woman being with another woman, I mean. It isn’t very much accepted. But I’ve always felt, wanted…” Tentatively, she raised a hand to touch Corrin’s cheek with her fingertips.

“Forgive me. This isn’t appropriate.”

Corrin raised her own hand, holding it over Edelgard’s and keeping it in place. “There is nothing to forgive. This is what you wanted to try?”

Edelgard bit her lip, nodded. “I know it isn’t in my right to ask, but-”

Corrin shook her head. She closed her hand around Edelgard’s wrist and smoothed it over her face, let the woman feel her skin beneath her fingers. “Perhaps you should ask anyway.”

Corrin watched as Edelgard trembled - a sight so strange in a woman who was always so unwavering.

“Please, Corrin…” she whispered. “Will you teach me about this, as well?”

Corrin carefully cupped Edelgard’s small chin in her fingers. “Close your eyes, then.”

She did. Corrin watched her like that for just a short moment before leaning in and closing the distance between them. The kiss she gave was gentle, just a peck. Edelgard had very soft lips.

The quiet sounds of their lips closing around each other seemed to ring loudly in the silence of the night. Corrin led them, turning her head to the side a bit and making the kisses linger a bit longer. Edelgard breathed through her nose, even with the effort it took when she felt that Corrin’s kiss stole her breath away.

Corrin’s other hand went to Edelgard’s waist. She pulled her a little closer, and peeled her lips away for a moment. “How was that?”

Edelgard’s face was flushed red. It was a vision. “I’m...not sure. I can’t form an opinion yet. You should do it again.”

Corrin grinned. She leaned in and kissed her again, this time letting fingers wander into that white hair. It was so silky. Fitting.

She repeated the motions many times over, let Edelgard get used to her mouth… then she pressed a little harder, pulled her lips in a little more.  
  
It seemed that in this, too, Edelgard was a quick and diligent learner.

She asked for permission by parting her lips a little more, and Edelgard granted it to her with just a hint of nervous hesitation, opening her mouth up too.

When their tongues met, a low, hushed sound came from within her.

Corrin’s fingers weaved through her hair and scratched pleasantly. Their breaths became a little louder as the kiss deepened. Corrin led her expertly, and it felt effortless to follow.

So this was what it was like to kiss a woman. So soft. So… warm and all-enveloping. This was what she’d been missing all this time.

When they pulled away, her breath was labored and her lips felt tender. She touched a finger to them. “You… Truly are amazing, Corrin.”

Corrin leaned back in, touching their foreheads and the tips of their noses. “That’s what I’ve been thinking of you, all this time.”

Their closeness felt comfortable. Becoming. She felt blanketed by a warm that transcended physical sensation. It was emotional, even spiritual. She pressed another brief kiss onto Corrin’s lips.

“Thank you.”


End file.
